Doctor Archive
Thread: What is best complimentary combat prof with doc 4004?
- A really hard-to-kill character with Bacta Infusion, Improved Center of Being, and TK Innate Armor.
- Bacta Spray to assist in healing self ( and others ) and as an aggro magnet ( plus Area Taunt as needed ).
- Advanced Armor break to destroy defenses of your enemies.
- Advanced Head Hit to give some "punch" to offense, plus basic Critical Strike if preferred.
- Armor that costs nothing, never needs to be repaired, so drawing aggro isn't a cash drain.
- And ( of course ) the doc buffs.
The down side to this is a lower damage output, plus only one mastery. Still, the template uses both sets of doc abilities ( buffs and heals ), and is a good template for group or solo PvE.
For ranged, I would choose Doc 4004, MSmuggler, Two lines of Pistols. Benefits ( assuming PvE, Pistols 4004 ):
- Good rooting-type ability, Last Ditch, Feign Death
- Slicing Ability, if you like some semi-combat activities.
- Stopping Shot ( a semi-root, IIRC ) and Body Shot from Pistols for somewhat improved damage capability.
The downsides are again a moderate damage output, plus only one Mastery. Still, you get a fair number of specials to work with, making a very versitile character.
I don't really care for MR / Doc ( although I've seen it used very effectively ), as it is my opinion that Rifles are built around the concept of keeping an enemy far enough away he can't really hurt you. If you wanted a healer / ranged character, I would prefer a CM for the lower skill point requirements, but that wasn't the question stated. As a result, my ranged template was really designed as a "short-ranged" template, making pistols/smuggler the logical choice.
Excellent advice. I've been rifles/ranger for over a year and decided its time for a change. I also have a pistoleer/smuggler so I may take a look at that melee template. Have to be careful since I only get one shot at it with respec.
This toon also has to have artisan 0033
I was looking at Doc 4004, MR, pistol 0003 for the stopping shot but now you have me thinking melee
btw .. this toon is 99 percent pve
and its about 75 percent solo and 25 percent group
In that case, based on your requirements,for a melee build I'd probably take the following:
Doc 4004 / Artisan 0033 / TKM and one of the following:
- Swords 0400 ( Improved Area Taunt, Improved Head Hit ), if you want an extra damage boost and/or the taunting ability for grouping.
- Fencer 0004 ( Advanced Bleed,Improved Blinding Strike ), for a Damage-Over-Time. While DoTs aren't very effective in group hunts ( battles tend to be short ), it's been my experience they're really nice for 1 vs. several in longer battles : the playstyle I preferred when a TKM/MDoc. I could engage several foes at once, bleed each of them, and then the bleed damage + my normal attacks worked in my favor.
- Master Brawler ( Parry Riposte Stance, Melee Assault ). I haven't tried MB, but I've heard good things about it on the boards. Sounds like a "better defense than swords, better offense than Fencer" option based on reading.
The problem you're going to encounter is any of these builds is likely to run less than level 80 due to a lack of double-mastery. If this doesn't bother you (e.g. you don't plan on wandering solo on Dathomir attacking everything that breathes ), then one of these combos may work for you. I'm guessing the above three sets will work out to be level 60 or very close, so take that into consideration.
I've already burned my respec ( moving from TKM/MBH to MBH/MDoc ), and have been converting again to TKM/MDoc. My experience has been that a few group hunts on Dantooine go a long way towards filling boxes in a hurry ( reached novice TKM from nothing in about two hours, albeit with 2X experience ). I'd suggest you may want to convert you character "the hard way" from MR/MRanger to MR/Doc4004, as gaining medical experience in a group ( assuming you lay down the gun and only heal ) is very trivial IME.
If you did this, and reached MR / Doc4004 / Artisan 0033 ( with 34 points elsewhere ), you could experiment with that template and then migrate to one of the above templates fairly easily as well, leaving your Respec open just in case you get to your destination and go "What in the world was I thinking ?!?"
Sorry for the lengthy posts, but I obviously enjoy thinking about character builds. One last off-the-wall option, which addresses some issues ( pets can reach level 70, higher than any of these builds can do ), and yet leaves other challenges ( for lack of a better word ), and is a little different:
Master Creature Handler / Doc 4004 / Medic 4440 / Marksman 0002 / Artisan 0033
It gives you healing for yourself and your pets (including Bacta Spray), a little bit of ranged ability ( use with an Advanced Laser Rifle or similar ), pets up to L70 to help you out, the ability to harvest meat/hides/bone, and still meets your artisan requirements. In addition, you can tame if you so choose on your surveying trips, if you see something you like.
Unfortunately, it still requires armor, but nothing's perfect. 
It also has questionable damage output, requires a lot of micromanagement ( a necessity for CH in my experience ), and average defenses. It sounds like an interesting but risky template to me, but not one I'd burn my final respec on in case I was wrong.
hmmm ...
my first toon was one of the first master creature handlers on chilastra. Long before they became FOTM and everyone had 3 rancors.... so this was a long time ago. Maybe its time to return to my roots
A guildy did Master rifles, pistol 0003, master doc ... I could do that with the artisan points and Doc 4004. But like you... I can't help but think a doctor needs to be closer to the action than a rifleman ... not going to do pistols since I'm already doint that with alt. So its carbines ... melee .. or something out of the box like your CH idea.
After5CST wrote:
In that case, based on your requirements,for a melee build I'd probably take the following:
Doc 4004 / Artisan 0033 / TKM and one of the following:
- Swords 0400 ( Improved Area Taunt, Improved Head Hit ), if you want an extra damage boost and/or the taunting ability for grouping.
- Fencer 0004 ( Advanced Bleed,Improved Blinding Strike ), for a Damage-Over-Time. While DoTs aren't very effective in group hunts ( battles tend to be short ), it's been my experience they're really nice for 1 vs. several in longer battles : the playstyle I preferred when a TKM/MDoc. I could engage several foes at once, bleed each of them, and then the bleed damage + my normal attacks worked in my favor.
- Master Brawler ( Parry Riposte Stance, Melee Assault ). I haven't tried MB, but I've heard good things about it on the boards. Sounds like a "better defense than swords, better offense than Fencer" option based on reading.
The problem you're going to encounter is any of these builds is likely to run less than level 80 due to a lack of double-mastery. If this doesn't bother you (e.g. you don't plan on wandering solo on Dathomir attacking everything that breathes ), then one of these combos may work for you. I'm guessing the above three sets will work out to be level 60 or very close, so take that into consideration.
I've already burned my respec ( moving from TKM/MBH to MBH/MDoc ), and have been converting again to TKM/MDoc. My experience has been that a few group hunts on Dantooine go a long way towards filling boxes in a hurry ( reached novice TKM from nothing in about two hours, albeit with 2X experience ). I'd suggest you may want to convert you character "the hard way" from MR/MRanger to MR/Doc4004, as gaining medical experience in a group ( assuming you lay down the gun and only heal ) is very trivial IME.
If you did this, and reached MR / Doc4004 / Artisan 0033 ( with 34 points elsewhere ), you could experiment with that template and then migrate to one of the above templates fairly easily as well, leaving your Respec open just in case you get to your destination and go "What in the world was I thinking ?!?"
Sorry for the lengthy posts, but I obviously enjoy thinking about character builds. One last off-the-wall option, which addresses some issues ( pets can reach level 70, higher than any of these builds can do ), and yet leaves other challenges ( for lack of a better word ), and is a little different:
Master Creature Handler / Doc 4004 / Medic 4440 / Marksman 0002 / Artisan 0033
It gives you healing for yourself and your pets (including Bacta Spray), a little bit of ranged ability ( use with an Advanced Laser Rifle or similar ), pets up to L70 to help you out, the ability to harvest meat/hides/bone, and still meets your artisan requirements. In addition, you can tame if you so choose on your surveying trips, if you see something you like.
Unfortunately, it still requires armor, but nothing's perfect.
How did you like MBH/MDoc? I'm currently MDoc/M Commando, but several of my guildmates are encouraging MBH for the better attacks. I want to keep a ranged profession. I've still got my final respecbut don'twant to use it unless Iam really sure.
I'm pretty much a solo player, nothing uber just missions and some of the easier quests. I just want to be able to hold my own in an average situation.
My comments are all PvE, as I don't PvP and don't care to.
I give MBH/MD mixed results. I was/am grinding FS, and BH was a very good choice for me for that because of the ability to bank EXP ( 900k each in Rifles, Carbines, and Pistols, 600k combat, plus 1.2m in Medical, giving me some breathing room between village trips ).
In addition, the NPC bounty missions paid fairly well and were easy to do solo, for a change of pace when I wanted something a little different from the norm. A nice little bonus.
However, strictly as a solo PvE combatant, I give it fairly low marks. The lack of specials to keep foes from closing to melee range means that melee critters will reach you solo without a lot of damage taken off. The lack of specials to greatly increase damage means that the critters will be inflicting damage on you for longer periods of time ( although your health probably won't suffer : Doc still excels at that ). The resulting longer combats (1) reduce your income potential ( since combat takes longer, meaning it takes longer to complete a lair ) and (2) increases your expenses, since your armor is taking a beating.
In my miser combat book, Makes Less + Costs More = bad choice.
In a group hunt situation, it fares better. Since it doesn't outdamage MR ( or most other elite professions ) I would rarely draw aggro in a group hunt as long as I kept the healing minimal, so the EXP and cash would roll in fairly easy. Still, I didn't like being a L80 double elite and still needing to play "second banana" to a single elite Rifleman or Swordsman ( or other )... it just irked me that I didn't have enough offensive punch to really contribute in a high-level hunt.
I used to ( as a TKM / MDoc ) occasionally go on lark hunting sprees, just engaging a Rancor or three (or a Nightsister set) on Dathomir for no reason other than I wanted a bit of a challenge. As a MBH/MD, I just wasn't willing to sacrifice my armor for something that wouldn't generate any real income. As a result, I felt fairly restricted in what I could do.
From the "out-of-the-box" template category:
If you're not opposed to losing Doc status, and like Commando, there's a template I've really wanted to try as a solo / group PvE hunter:
MCommando / MTK / CM 4000
Good ( not great ) healing, area attacks, no armor requirements, and really tough to kill when you combine Center of Being with BactaShot solo ( or Advanced Bacta Spray in group ). Unfortunately, it uses every skill point, so I can't try it without abandoning all thouse FS points I've been slowly accumulating, so it's a mental exercise for me at the moment.
And, I haven't seen or heard of anyone who's attempted to actually use this template, so I have no practical experience if it's a fabulous PvE template, or something half-baked. That appeals to me ( as someone who doesn't want to be "just another FotM" ), but it's a little ... disconcerting ... as well.
Personal Template Note:
At the moment, I've returned partly to my roots. Master Doc / TK 0100 / Master Artisan. Not great at soloing critters ( not enough defense IMO ), but gives a variety of things I can do, with healing, crafting, surveying, and the occasional melee. I think MTK / Doc 1000 / Master Artisan would probably be a better build for soloing, but I just like Doc too much to give it up yet.
Denate wrote:
TKM
Sword 0444
Doc 4004
Level 80
Massive tank, massive damage output (with necrosis nightblade).
Great for PVE, and very solo-able.
If you're going to keep the Artisan and only have skill points for one tree (4 boxes) of a secondary Melee combat profession I'd consider 0400 Pike. The above template Denate/Farkey use is really nice if you can get that much Sword, a Necrosis Nightblade or Katern Knucklers but if you don't have an ADK for those items (as they decay quickly)I'd go with Pikeman and use a vibro lance. Swordsman is great as Master where you get a power hammer or ADK teh Katern/Necrosis blades but the other Sword and TK weapons aren't very good. Pike vibro lance is the best damage dealer I've found with reasonable Action hits if you can't get Master Sword/Necrosis/Ketern.
MTK is great for innate armor and defense. Doc 4004 does most everything except rez (personally I'm MDoc with MTK and Pike 0400).